Disk wheel and method of making the same



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. H. BELLAMORE Filed March 30, 1921 WLM DISK WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Dec. 23, 1924- 1,520,104

D. H, BELLAMORE DISK WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March so 1921 2 sneets-seet 2 Patented Dec. 23, 24.

DAVID E. BELLA'MORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

msx WHEEL AND METHOD or MAKING THE senin Application med March 30, 1921. Serial No. 456,849.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. BELLAMORE,

a citizen of the-United States, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Disk Wheel and Method of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a disk wheel for motor vehicles as well as the method of making the same, and contemplates the `eiiicient and economical manufacture of wheels of this character. 'I

Disk wheels as usually constructed embodya hub, a rim, and one or more dlsks for vvspacing the hub from the rim and it has .been the common practice to screw the disks to one another and to the rim by means of bolts, rivets or welding, while the disk portion of the wheel is mounted on the hub either by rivets or by the usual hub bolts. Wherever the manufacture of a wheel requires the welding, bolting or riveting of the parts together, such operations require the employment of highly skilled hands Vand the expenditure of considerable time in the fabrication of the wheel. Accordingly, wheels so constructed, and u to the present time, practically all disk W eels have been so made, are expensive and more or less heavy. It is the object of this invention to incidentally minimize the weight of the wheel and primarily to expedite, facilitate and simplify its manufacture throu h the practicing of the novel method an procedure hereinafter described. v

The salient feature of this invention, and one whichmarks a pronounced departure from prior practice, resides in the method of securing the rim of the wheel to the disk portion thereof. Heretofore the disk or disks of the wheel have invariably been secured to the rim by bolts, rivets or Welding. whereas the present invention provides for the mounting ofthe rim on the disk portion thereof to the exclusion of the employnlent of any of these Well known ex pedients.

ln practically carrying out this feature of the invention, the operation of joining the ends of the rim is availed of to simultaneously mount the rim upon the disk portion of the wheel. In this manner, a large number of steps or operations hereinbefore considered indispensible yare entirely eliminated.

Another feature of the invention resides.y

in the manner in which the central partof the disk portion of the wheel may be reinforced by a member in addition to the disk or disks which member is secured in place without the employment of extraneous means and also serves as a means for secur.-

ing the central portions of the disks, when more than 1 is used, together.

When the present invention is practiced, in wheel construction, a wheel may be entirely assembled and ready to be placed upon a hub without employing any extraneous attaching means, such as bolts or rivets, or welding the parts together, other than the well known welding operation required to secure together the ends of the rim section of the wheel. In this respect, the` present invention is a pronounced departure from the prior art, wherein, so far as applicant is aware, there is not a single wheel capable of manufacture without the employment of such ex pedients.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several ways 1n which the method of the present inventlon may b`e produced, as well as different forms of construction which may enter into the practical carrying out ot a wheel made in accordance with the method 'of this invention. I wish it understood, however', that different forms of wheels, i. e., wheels embodying different structural characteristics may be produced by the method of this invention and that the struc-` Figures 2, 3, and 4 are radial sections ofv the wheel shown in Figure l, showing different steps in the process of manufacture.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show illustrative forms of rim sections which may be empioyed.

. The process, as employed in the making of a wheel of this character is as shown in VFigures l to 8, inclusive, and is carried out as follows: l

Two disks 10 and 11 are stamped, pressed or otherwise cut and formed into the desired shapes and both disks are made of the same diameter. Both disks are stamped out at their centers to provide hub openings and between the inner and outer peripheries of the disk 11 is formed an annular series of holes 12.

A filler member 14 is shown as entering into the construction illustrated and this filler member 1a embodies a sleeve-like portion 15 provided at one end with a radially extending ange 16. rihe ller la is suitably mani ulated in the making to `provide an annu ar bead 17 on its sleeve portion and an annular series of laterally eX- tending hollow bosses 18 on the inner face of its ange portion. ln practice, `the iiller may be conveniently stamped or pressed up from. malleable maritala in assembling the parts, thus far dep scribed, the inner disk 11 is slipped over the filler into the position shown in dot ted lines in Figure 2, so that the inner periphery of the disk will seat against. the bead 17, while the hollow bosses or projections 18 will extend through the perfora- Vtions 12 of the disk. After the disk has been brought into this position with relation to the filler, the ends of the bosses 18 are subjected to pressure or otherwise compressed and expanded as shown in the Figure 3, whereby the disk 11 is firmly secured to the Harige 16 of the fillerB The other disk 10 is now slipped over the sleeve portion of the ller so that its central 'and marginal portions come into abutting relation withv the central and marginal portions of the disk 11, as shown in dotted lines Iin Figure 3, whereupon the free end of the sleeve'portion 15 is flared or iianged out.

wardly as shown at 19 in Figure 4, for the purpose of tightening the inner peripheries of the two disks 10 and 11 firmly together between' |the bead 17 and the ange 19. The resulting structure will be `as shown in Fi re t.

ith a wheel thuis far constructed, I may associate any suitable form of rim and may secure the rim. in position in any dereadies sired way either by lHanging the outer ends of the disks or otherwise, but in the preferred manner of practicing the invention, the procedure next to be described is ollowed.

The rim is made in the form of a continuous strip of suitable cross lsectional shape, three of which shapes are shown ini Figures 5, 6 and 7." In the construction of Figure 5, the inner face of the rim is provided with two parallel ribs 20 forming an intermediate channel 21. ln the construction of Figure 6, substantially the Same construction is followed except that spaced lugs 20 are provided intermediate the broken channeli211. ln the Construction oi Figure 7.. however, the rim is rolled with a central channel 21h. All of these rim sections may be applied to the wheel thus far constructed in the same way, but in Figure 8 of the drawings, l have shown the rim section of Figure 5 in the course of application. To apply the rim section of Figure 5, the strip of rim section is manipulated by any suitable means from the form of 4the dat strip shown into a annular band, which is passed or sprung about the assembled disks in such manner that the outer peripheries of the disks will occupy the channel 21 in the rim section, as clearly shown in Figure 8. AThis having been accomplished, the opposite ends of the rim are brought into abutting relation and are Welded together. This welding operation not only serves to securethe ends of the rim together with the resulting rim 22 in av position to tightly em brace the disks 10 and 11, but also serves `to secure the disks to the rim at the point of the Weld, thereby precluding slipping of the rim circumferentially o the disk por tion of the wheel. l

The foregoing description has dealt with a Wheel embodying two disks, and l have described the manner in which a rim may be applied to such a two disk wheel. However, it will be manifest that. a "single disk wheel may be similarly associated with the rim by simply taking the disk portion ot the Wheel as shown in Figure 3 and, applying the rim thereto in the ma'nner described.

it is to be further understood that the method of applying a rim to one or more disks might well be practiced on wheels having a central construction other thanV that shown in the drawings. That is to say, the central portion of the disk or disks might be formed in anyway and the method of' attaching the rim thereto nevertheless be carried out irrespective ci the centralpor tion of the wheel formation. 4

In Figure 9 of the drawings, a modified form of construction is shown. lin this construction, aI wheel is illustrated having `a manv disk 10 and a reinforcing disk 11,

the latter of which extends from the hub only part way to the rim. The outer margin of-the reinforcing disk '11? lis `hanged over to provide a flange 23 which is formed with bosses 18b adapted to pass through apertures in the rim 22a and to be expanded or flattened out, so as to secure the flange 23 firmly to the rim. In practice, the bosses- 18? may be formed on the rim and passed through apertures in the flange 23. I am further aware that a Wheel constructed with a main and reinforcing disk as shown in Figure 9 may be secured to the rim after the manner shown in Figure 8, by omitting the iiange 23, and I further appreciate that in the construction shown in Figure 9, the reinforcing disk l1a may, if desired, be dispensed With. Y

It will be apparent from the foregoing description, that the wheel of this invention may be constructed entirely of the material of its several parts and without the employment of any extraneous fastening means or expedients, such as separate bolts or rivets. Of course, it will be understood that the filler, as well as both the disks 10 and 11 are l provided )vith alined apertures 24, through which the hub bolts may be passed to secure the Wheel on the hub, but this arrangement is highly desirable since it permits of ready attachment or detachment of the wheelwith respect to the hub and forms no part of disk Wheel construction in the present invention.

I-Iavin thus fully described the invention, what I cI-a'im as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of making disk wheels which consists in constructin the rim of the Wheel in the form of a split ring, thereafter bringing the split ring in a position to embrace the disk or disks of the Wheel with the ring and the disk in interlockedrelation, and thereafter securing the ends of the split ring together.

. 2.` The method ofl making disk wheels which consists in constructing the rim of the wheel in the form of a split ring having its inner periphery formed tol interlock with the outer periphery of the disk of the wheel and then bringing the ends of the rim together and securing them in abutting relation to maintain the rim interlocked with the disk.

3. The method of making disk Wheels which consists in constructing the rim of the wheel in the form of a split ring having its inner periphery formed to interlock with the outer eriphery of the disk ofthe wheel and then ringing the ends of the rim together and Welding them to one another and to the disky at this point to maintain the rim lin end' abutting relation with the rim interlocked with the disk and Welded thereto.

` longitu secure the ends of the ring in face abutting 4. The `method of making disk. wheels which consists in forming a, strip of material having a cross sectional rim shape and a diskI engaging channel extending longitudinally of the strip, then bending the strip longitudinally into the form of an open ring, then bringing thevopen ring in a position-to embrace thev disk lor disks of the Wheel with the outer periphery of said disk or disks in positions Within the channel of the open ring, and thereafter uniting .the ends of the ring. y

5. The method of making disk wheels Whiclrconsists in forming a strip of material having a cross sectional rim shape and a disk engaging channel extending longitudinall of the strip, then bending the strip (finally into the form of an open ring, then bringing the open ring in a position to embrace the disk or disks of the Wheel with the outer periphery of said disk or disks in positions within the channel of the open. ring, and thereafter. uniting the ends of the ring by Welding Which serves to 9o relation and also secures the disk or disks to the rin to preclude circumferential move` ment o the rim on the disks.

6. A disk wheel embodying .a pair of opposed disks having their outer marginal portion in face abutting relation and other portions in spaced relation', and a permanent rim member embracing the disks and formed on its inner periphery to interlock with the face abutting marginal portions and both of 1,00 said disks, to lock the disks to the rim without the employment of extraneous attaching means.y

7 A disk Wheel embodying a pair of opposed disks having their outer marginal portions in face abutting relation, a permanent rim member embracing the disks and provided on its-inner periphery with means carried Wholly Vby the permanent rim'member and interlocking with the face abutting 11omarginal portions of said disks for the purpose of locking the'disks to the rim member Without the employment of extraneous attaching means.

8. 'A disk Wheel embodyin a pluralityl of 115 disks provided With centra? hub openings and Whiclrdisks are in face abutting relation adjacent the hub openings thereof, a rim `embracing the outer peripheries of the disks, lfiller means associated with the. disks adjacent their hub openings for imparting the desired thickness to the wheel at, its center and means integral with cooperating parts .of the wheel construction for-securing the disks to the rim and the filler means to 125 :the disks Without the employment of lex-f member extending through the hu opening or the disk and provided with a radial flange secured adjacent its outer periphery to the disk, the cylindrical member being also secured to. the disk to preclude longiil tudinal movement of the cylindrical member in the hub opening of the disk.

- 10. A disk Wheel embodyingrat least one disk rovided with a hub opening, a cylindrical) member lextending through the hub opening of the disk and provided at one end with a radially projecting flange, bosses formed on the flange and extendinfr through and beyond apertures in the isk, said bosses being expanded beyond the disk to lock the disk firmly to the flange, and means for securing the cylindrical member against longitudinal movement in the hub openin of the disk.

11. disk wheel. embodying at least one disk provided With a hub opening, a cylindrical member extending through the hub opening of the disk and provided at one end with a radially projecting flange,

bosses formed on the flange and extending till through and beyond apertures in the disk, said bosses being extended beyond the disk to lock the disk firmly lto the Harige, and an annular channel formed on the cylindrical member and in which the disk seats.

12. A disk Wheel embodying at least one disk provided with a hub opening, a cylindrical member extending through the hub opening of the disk and provided at one end vwith a radially projecting flange, bosses formed on the flange and extending through and beyond apertures in the disk, said bosses being extended beyond the disk to lock the disk firmly to the flange, an annular bead formed on the cylindrical member and against 'which the disk is adapted to seat, `and the free end of the sleeve being flared outwardly to tightly clamp 'the disk against the bead.

1.3.,A disk Wheel embodying a pair of disks provided With hub openings and in face abutting relation adjacent the hub openings, a substantially cylindrical member extending through the hub openings of both disks and adapted to clamp the inner margins of both disks firmly together. said cylindrical member being provided with a radially extending flange secured to one of the disks intermediate the hub openingand theouter periphery of such disks.

14. A diskr wheel embodying ai .pair ot' disks provided with hub openings and in face abutting relation adjacent the hub openings, a substantially `cylindrical member extending through the hub openings of both disks and adapted to clamp the inner margins of both disks firmly together, said intensos cylindrical memMr being provided with a radially extending ange secured to one of the disks intermediate the hub opening and Vthe outer periphery of such disk, the disk which is secured to said dange being ofl'- set to rovide a shoulder adapted to seat upon t e outer periphery of the ange.

15. A disk Wheel embodying a pair of disks provided with `hub openings and in face abutting relation adjacent the hub openings, a substantially cylindrical hub portion extending through the hub openings of both disksA and clampin the inner margins of both disks togeier, said hub portion being provided with a radially extending flange secured to at least one of the disks intermedia-te the hub opening and the outer periphery of such disk, said disk being provided with a shoulder seating upon the outer periphery of said flange.

16. A disk Wheel embodying a disk provided with a hub opening. a cylindrical member extending through the hub opening of the disk and provided on one end with a radially extending ange contacting With the disk intermediate the hub opening and the outer periphery of the disk, said disk being provided with an annular shoulder adapted to seat upon the outer periphery of the flange.

17. A disk Wheel embodying a disk provided With a hub opening, a cylindrical member extending through the hub opening of the disk and provided on one end with a radially extending flange contacting with the disk intermediate the hub opening and the outer periphery of the disk, said disk being provided with an annular shoulder adapted to seat upon the outer periphery of' the flange, and an annular bead formed on the cylindrical member' and against which bead the disk is adapted to seat, that portion of the c lindrical member exteriorly of the disk bemg expanded for the purpose of clamping the disk firmly against the bead. j i

18. A di'skiiffvvheelz-1.embodying a substantially cylindrical hub portion -provided at one en'dwith a. substantially radially extendingzvlange, and a disk provided with a hub opening embracing said cylindrical portion. the disk being permanently and rigidly secured to the cylindrical portion tu preclude movement of the disk longitlulinzilly of the cylindrical portion. and said disk being provided with a shoulder' resting kupon and bearing against the outer periphery of the flange.

ln testimony whereof. l have signed my name to this specification.

DAVH) BELLAMREC.

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